Blind life: meet the parents

Commentary

A 13 minute film touching gently on anxiety about meeting a partner’s parents, being blind, screenreaders, and a guide dog. Beautifully filmed and edited with carefully framed Edinburgh scenery. Blindness is just-one-of-the-facts, and this feels a very authentic portrayal.

Agata, a young, blind Polish woman, plans to travel from her home in Scotland to Massachusetts to meet the friends and family of her sighted boyfriend. We see her in her daily routines as she readies herself to be seen for the first time in Matt’s world.

Further info

Modern screenreaders have revolutionised life for blind people, as shown here on a smartphone. Many users have higher read speeds than Agata – search YouTube for some impressive demos (here’s one).

Touch Life was produced and filmed in Edinburgh, with credits to the Scottish Documentary Institute, Edinburgh College of Art, and the Lottery Fund. It was shown at the 2014 Edinburgh International Film Festival, the 2015 London Short Film Festival and the 2015 Open City Documentary Festival.

Aeon.co is an open-access online cultural magazine with a strong Medical Humanities thread, and with Scottish connections. Well worth a look.